Betty Woo
Honolulu, Hawaii |Residence = Kāhala, Honolulu, Hawaii |Occupation = Singer ∙ songwriter ∙ actress |Education = |Parents = |Spouse = Bobby Ng (m. 1984, div. 1992) Alex Kruk (m. 1998, div. 2003) Jeremy Chen (m. 2009, div. 2011) Kyle Martin (m. 2014, div. 2017) |Children = Queenie Ng Xyla Kruk |Genres = Pop ∙ adult contemporary ∙ R&B ∙ soul |Instruments = Vocals ∙ piano |Years = 1975–present |Labels = Big Island}}Betty Rosanna Woo (born 28 September 1957) is a Hawaiian singer, songwriter, and actress whose career has spanned over five decades. After beginning her career in the 1970s, she has established herself as one of the most successful Hawaiian musicians in music history. Born to South Korean immigrants in Honolulu, Woo was raised in a middle-class family in the Kaimuki neighborhood. After graduating from Kaimuki High School in 1975, Woo began to pursue music professionally. She signed to Big Island Records in 1977, and later released her debut solo single "Irreplaceable" the following year. The song went on to become a number-one single in Hawaii and the best-selling single of 1978. It was able to catapult Woo into superstardom, and the release of her debut studio album Butterfly Blues later that year cemented her as a future Hawaiian icon. While originally inventing herself as a pop artist and experimenting with disco music in the late-1970s and early-1980s, Woo began to drift towards R&B and pop ballads during the late-1980s and 1990s. She eventually transitioned to adult contemporary music in the 2010s. Woo began to pursue an acting career as well in the 1990s, and won the Hawaiian Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 1995 Hawaiian Movie Awards for her role in the 1994 musical-drama Showtime. She achieved further fame with her starring role on the Hawaii Kidz! musical-comedy Being Bella Song, also starring her daughter Queenie Ng. Releasing thirty-two studio albums and selling over one million records in her career, she is the best-selling Hawaiian musician of all-time. She has additionally been referred to as the "Mother of Hawaii", "Queen of Pop", and "Godmother of Music" by the Hawaiian media. Early life and education Woo was born on 28 September 1957 in Honolulu to parents Woo Ki-woong (1927–) and Min-su (1930–; née Kwon), immigrants from Seoul, South Korea. They arrived in Hawaii from Korea shortly after the Korean War broke out in 1950, right after their marriage. After arriving in Hawaii, they Anglicized their names to David and Judy Woo. David worked as a professor of mathematics at the University of Hawaii – Manoa, while Judy was a housewife. Woo was raised in a middle-class family in the neighborhood of Kaimuki. She has an elder brother named Charles, born , who works as a chemical engineer in California. Woo attended public school in Honolulu, beginning high school at Kaimuki High School in 1971. During high school, she described herself as "theatrical" and "dramatic", being a dedicated member of the music and theatre departments. Woo was a popular student, being elected her senior class secretary and winning prom queen upon her graduation from high school in 1975. Despite her parents wanting her to pursue a scholarly profession and attend the University of Hawaii – Manoa, Woo ultimately decided to not attend college and instead moved into a small apartment in Waikiki to pursue a career in the music industry. Career 1970s: Career beginnings and breakthrough 1980s: Further success 1990s: Focus on acting 2000s: Return to music 2010s: Shift to adult contemporary Personal life Discography Filmography Awards and nominations Category:1957 births Category:Big Island Records artists Category:Hawaiian adult contemporary musicians Category:Hawaiian contemporary R&B singers Category:Hawaiian female singers Category:Hawaiian female songwriters Category:Hawaiian film actresses Category:Hawaiian Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress recipients Category:Hawaiian Music Award – Hawaiian Icon recipients Category:Hawaiian Music Award for Artist of the Year recipients Category:Hawaiian Music Award for Best Female Artist recipients Category:Hawaiian Music Award for Best New Artist recipients Category:Hawaiian Music Award for Best Pop Artist recipients Category:Hawaiian people of South Korean descent Category:Hawaiian pop singers Category:Hawaiian Progress Party members Category:Hawaiian soul singers Category:Hawaiian television actresses Category:Living people Category:People from Honolulu